YOU LEAD; I’LL FOLLOW
Numbers 9.15-23
S: God’s Presence (Pillar of Cloud & Fire)
C: Following God
Th: Choose the Fire
Pr: GOD IS OUR ABLE GUIDE IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES.
?: How? How do we know this?
KW: Directions
TS: We will find in our study of the pillar of cloud and fire three directions God gives us with His Presence.
Type: Propositional
The ____ direction is…
I. WAIT
II. WORSHIP
III. FOLLOW
PA: How is the change to be observed?
• Trust God, no matter what the circumstances.
• Be ready for a challenge.
Version: ESV
RMBC 06 April 08 AM
INTRODUCTION:
1. If only God would appear to me…
Have you ever thought that?
If He would just show up, then I would believe Him like no one else.
I’d do anything for Him.
Ever said anything like that?
If God did appear to you, what would He look like?
The slide here is from the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican.
It is a painting by Michelangelo of God creating the sun and moon.
If God were to come to you, is that what you think He would look like?
Would He be old or young?
Would He be stern or loving?
Would He be demanding or compassionate?
Would He be tall or short?
What color would He wear?
ILL God (H)
Film clip from Evan Almighty:
Let me set up this film clip we are about to see from Evan Almighty. Evan Baxter, a newscaster from Buffalo, has been elected to Congress. His campaign theme has been, “Change the World.” The night before he heads off to Congress, he prays to God to help him change the world.
As he gets up in the morning, Evan’s General Electric clock goes off at 6:14. What is significant here is the lights on the clock only show the first three letters from the company name – GEN (you should get that). After a series of coincidences, he gets the hint and reads the passage in Genesis, which is Noah’s assignment to build an ark.
As a matter of warning, there might be one phrase in here that you might not like, but don’t let it distract you from the message that is here.
As this scene begins, a truck drops off wood in his driveway and Evan goes outside to try to stop it.
0:15:35-0:17:25
I think there is a lesson here that is biblical.
If God were to appear to you, do you think it would be as you expected?
You are right if you say “no.”
Whenever God appears, it is not in an expected way.
Over the last two months, we have been studying Exodus and have seen the children of Israel make their way out of Egypt and toward the Promised Land.
Now…
2. God appeared to the children of Israel via a pillar of cloud and fire.
It was by this pillar, that the people were led.
It was a guide for both day and night.
By the day, it appeared as a cloud in contrast with the light of the sun.
By night, it was a fiery splendor.
It never changed its nature, whether cloud or fire.
All the time, it was God’s literal presence.
Now…
The people had a choice in all of this.
They could follow it, or not.
They could follow God’s leading, or reject it.
And we have the same option…
3. We, too, can “choose the fire.”
That’s our theme for this series of messages, “Choose the Fire.”
Today, it means to choose God’s presence.
Is that something you are doing?
Are you accepting and receiving God’s presence and involvement in your life?
I encourage you to do so, because He is an able guide, no matter what the circumstances.
As we continue this morning, note how He guides, for…
4. We will find in our study of the pillar of cloud and fire three directions God gives us with His Presence.
OUR STUDY:
The first direction is…
I. WAIT (Exodus 14.19-20)
5. When the pillar led the Israelites to the Red Sea, it was time to stop and trust.
Do you remember this part of the story?
God has led the children of Israel away from Egypt.
They have followed the pillar of cloud and fire, to the south, then to the east, and then back to the north.
This has been a confusing set of directions.
For they have reached a dead end.
Their backs are to the sea, and now pharaoh is returning with his army.
The scenario is grim.
They believe that they are dead men.
Notice what the text says…
Then the angel of God who was going before the host of Israel moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them, coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel. And there was the cloud and the darkness. And it lit up the night without one coming near the other all night.
You see…
6. God’s wait often means God’s protection.
God brought them to a dead end on purpose.
He did this so that they would learn the important lesson of stopping and waiting.
He did this so that they would see that no matter how desperate the circumstances seem, He always could be trusted to protect them.
I like how one person put it…
“While I’m living in Sunday, He’s already in Tuesday.”
God might be telling you to wait right now.
You may not like it.
It may not be what you want.
But I do guarantee this.
It is the best.
Because God does not work any other way.
So, when you don’t understand why God is giving you the circumstances you are in, call to mind that God has been faithful to you, even when you have not been the same.
The second direction is…
II. WORSHIP (15-16)
I know that worship does not sound like a direction, but listen to the text from Numbers 9…
On the day that the tabernacle was set up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the testimony. And at evening it was over the tabernacle like the appearance of fire until morning. So it was always: the cloud covered it by day and the appearance of fire by night.
7. When the pillar stayed still, it placed itself over the tabernacle.
Now why does God do that?
Why does He place Himself at the tabernacle?
He does that because it is the designated place of worship.
It is the place of right relationship.
It is the place where people got into right relationship with God.
You see…
8. Our most essential relationship is God.
God had promised that He would lead and guide these people.
But the relationship was not meant to be a “one way” relationship.
Sometimes, we think it is all about us.
We pray and pray and believe that God ought to answer us the way we want Him too.
God, though, is never obligated to do that.
But the wonderful thing, is that He does always work toward our good.
This is why Moses would say to God at one point, “If Your presence does not go with us, do not send us from here.”
Let me encourage you today to put yourself where God can meet you.
Your most essential relationship is with Him.
Get your ears out…
Get your mind in gear…
And open up your heart…
And allow God to be that able guide in every circumstance of your life.
The third direction is…
III. FOLLOW (17)
And whenever the cloud lifted from over the tent, after that the people of Israel set out, and in the place where the cloud settled down, there the people of Israel camped.
9. When the pillar moved, it was time to go.
The children of Israel were to be ready to march at anytime.
When the pillar of cloud moved, it was time to go.
If it was at night, and the pillar of fire moved, it was time to pack up and go.
Do you respond to God like that?
When God moves, do you go with Him?
You should…
For note this (this should sound familiar)…
10. God is our able guide in all circumstances.
God takes us in all kinds of directions in our lives.
I don’t know where God is taking you, but the one thing I can guarantee is that He will take you a different way that you expect.
There will be changes that are unexpected, perhaps even unwanted.
But what they will be are opportunities in disguise.
ILL God (H)
Film Clip: Evan Almighty
Evan Baxter has decided to go ahead and build the ark. His wife, however has not been able to accept this nutty idea. She has left with the kids. And now it is time for her to meet that special someone with an important message for her.
Evan Almighty 1:00:18 – 1:02:05
You see, the building of the ark was an answer to her own prayer.
She had wanted to grow closer as a family.
What better way than building an ark!
God wants us to know what His will is for us.
He does not want it to be a mystery.
We must keep our eyes open.
We must be alert.
But, we must also be ready to follow one step at a time.
That’s alright though.
For God is an able guide in every circumstance.
CHALLENGE:
As many of you know, I have gone through some hard times.
I know what it feels like when it seems God has gone silent.
I know what it feels like to pray and pray and wonder if God will ever answer.
I know what it feels like to pray with prayers that get no higher than the ceiling.
It is like running into a block wall.
But I did learn this invaluable lesson in the process…
11. Trust God, no matter what (Proverbs 3.5-6).
Almost ritualistically, I found myself repeating these verses over and over again.
If I had any manta during my time of depression, it was this…
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
Those words there…they are God’s promise, and I held onto them, even though my circumstances…even though how I felt…argued against them.
It was a test of trust.
I kept looking up to Jesus, knowing that He is the Perfecter of my faith.
This past year and a half, I have been learning a lot about God’s presence.
It has been a huge theme for me, throughout my Christian life, but especially now.
When it comes to God’s Presence, I don’t understand it…hardly at all.
Sometimes, I am aware of His Presence.
Most times, I don’t feel it.
And I have learned you can’t create it.
There is no magic formula.
It just happens.
But I do know this, I depend on God’s Presence all the time.
And I believe it is a reality, regardless of whether I feel it or not.
In fact, I depend on it, especially when I don’t feel it.
There is an element of faith there that is very important.
Faith in God’s presence means that I trust in it, even if I do not see it – even if I do not feel it.
There are times though that I have felt God’s presence and I have been blown away.
They are sometimes huge significant events – sometimes they are smaller, seemingly insignificant times.
This slide of wooden chairs represents the first time that I became aware of God’s presence.
Thirty-eight years ago, I sat in a chair like one of these on the lawn of the Christian and Missionary Alliance Church of Batavia, NY, and I felt overwhelmingly compelled to raise my hand during an invitation to receive Jesus as my Savior.
I wrestled with God about raising my hand, but found it was up just the same as God drew near to me and led me into His kingdom.
It was a life-changing event as God was very real to me at that very moment.
There have been many more times when God has shown Himself to me.
Another event that I want to make note of is when I was in Brazil in 1995.
We had been in Brazil for a week and we were at the worship service of a small church in Buriticupu.
I was asked to serve communion with the pastor of this church, and as I was serving, I was caught in one of those holy moments.
God was reminding me of how precious and dear to Him were these saints that I was serving.
He reminded me that we were one – the body of Christ – and though I could not understand them, nor they understand me – Jesus made us one.
God met me that day in that small church.
I did not plan on those moments.
I did not create them.
They just happened.
But I also know that there are thousands of other moments that even though I did not feel as connected as I did then, God was still with me.
You know, sometimes life does not go the way we want it too.
We are alone…
We have broken relationships…
We get bad news from a physician…
We can’t pay the bills…
Our future seems uncertain…
But God does not promise easy times.
He just promises His Presence.
This means then that we need to…
12. Be ready for a challenge.
You see…
If you want ordinary, then the Christian life is not for you.
If you want predictability, the Christian faith is not for you.
That mountain there is Snowy Mountain in the Adirondacks near Indian Lake.
It is a three-hour climb.
The first hour is easy-going.
The second hour is strenuous.
The final hour is straight up – hands and feet.
When you get to the top, it is well worth the effort.
It is one of the prettiest views you will ever see.
Are you ready for a challenge?
Are you willing to go where God leads?
It may be strenuous.
It may be very hard going.
But in the end, it will be worth the effort, for God is an able guide in all circumstances.
For Further Study:
Exodus 13.21-22, 33.12-23, 40.34-38; Psalm 23.1-6, 139.7-10;Ezekiel 48.35; John 16.13; I Corinthians 3.16, 6.19-20; Colossians 1.15-20; II Timothy 3.16; Hebrews 4.12, 12.1-2; James 4.13-15
COMMUNION:
We come to our time of communion because of Jesus.
So I want you to note what these verses have to say in relation to Him.
When Jesus was to be born, Matthew reassures us that this was a fulfillment of prophecy when he reminds us of Isaiah 7…
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).
John also does not want us to miss the deity of Jesus, for he begins the gospel with…
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Then he writes…
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Paul enlarges our understanding of Jesus when he writes to the Colossians…
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities — all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
Finally, Jesus offers us his own promise.
It is a promise of His forever presence, that He truly is “God with us.”
“And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
We have real hope today because of the Lord Jesus.
So it is very appropriate for us to come with an attitude of worship.
So, if you know Jesus today, you are invited to share in the elements of the table.
You do not have to be a member of our church, but we do ask that you know Jesus and have a relationship with Him.
We practice “communion” because we are to remember the death of the Lord Jesus.
We take the bread to remind us that it was by the body of our Savior that our salvation came.
He died in our place.
He became our substitute.
We take the cup to remind us that it was by the blood of our Savior that our salvation came.
He died for our sins.
He became our sacrifice.
PRAYER
The apostle Paul writes, "The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me."
Let’s partake together.
PRAYER
Again, the apostle Paul writes, "In the same way, after supper he took the cup saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me."
Let’s partake together.
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
Deacon Offering
Ministry Moment: Tim Stewart and Campus Ambassadors
Mission tie-in – following God’s leading
BENEDICTION:
If you want God to be your able guide today, realize this…
The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Give as much of yourself as you know, to as much of Christ as you know.
It will cost you nothing, and it will cost you everything.
But there will be wonder after wonder, and every wonder true.
If you would like help with those first steps, I will be available to you after the postlude has concluded.
“The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.”
Amen!
RESOURCES:
SermonCentral:
Benge, Carl I Can Only Imagine
Bill, Brian The God Who Is There (Jehovah Shammah)
Huffman, Ewen God’s Presence
Hullah, Mike The Cloud, the Crowd, the Crutch
Newland, Melvin God, Show Me Your Glory!
Rickman, Mike How Close Do You Want to Get?
Books:
Bible Knowledge Commentary: Old Testament. Colorado Springs: Cook Communications Ministries, 2000.
Dictionary of Biblical Imagery. ed. Leland Ryken, James C. Wilhoit and Tremper Longman III. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1998.
The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. 5 vols, ed. James Orr, vol. 4. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1955.
Noordtzij, A. Numbers. Translated by Ed M. van der Maas. Bible Student’s Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Regency Reference Library, 1983.
Walton, John H., Victor H. Matthews, and Mark W. Chavalas. Ivp Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000.
Wiersbe, Warren. The Bible Exposition Commentary: Old Testament. Colorado Springs: Cook Communications Ministries, 2004.
